MAY 22, 2006

ISSUE 1116

IMMIGRATION REFORM EFFORTS BUILD MOMENTUM

Senate insiders expressed cautious optimism Thursday (May 18) that the end may be in sight for its work on immigration reform. The publication Congressional Quarterly reports that an aide to Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said that if Frist believes he needs to file cloture on the bill to meet his deadline for passage, he would do so early in the week. Others in leadership positions have indicated a wait and see attitude.

Also on Thursday, Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced an amendment that would impose an additional application fee on immigrants to begin the process of legalization. It would create a fund that would collect those fees and use the money to help states pay for health and educational services for non-citizens. The amendment was adopted 64-32.

The Senate passed an additional amendment that would authorize construction of a 370-mile fence along part of the U.S.-Mexico border and another establishing English as our national language.

As of Friday (May 19), the AgJobs legislation remains intact with no amendments. AgJOBS would reform the H-2A guest worker program and allow workers who lack legal status, but have worked in this country’s agriculture industry for a certain period of time, to apply for permanent worker status.

“It looks fairly obvious that the Senate will pass this immigration reform bill,” said Walter Kates, director, FFVA Labor Relations Division. “The question is how it comes out of the Conference Committee with the House. That’s the key to all this,” he added.